190 MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES 



under study. During this same year Webber published a list (74) 

 of the freshwater algae of the plains. A brief paper {7Z) on the flora 

 of central Nebraska published by this author in the American Nat- 

 uralist for 1889 includes practically the same preliminary sketch as 

 was indicated under the first reference. Bates (4) in 1892 published 

 a paper on the grasses of northwest Nebraska which includes notes 

 on a number of sandhill species. The vegetation of Box Butte and 

 Cheyenne counties was studied by Smith (62) . In this paper we have 

 a contribution to the knowledge of the grass flora of the western bor- 

 der of the sandhills. Bessey in a series of papers touched upon a num- 

 ber of the characteristics of the vegetation of this region and in 

 these papers (7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16) we find numerous valuable lists 

 of species, and suggestions as to the origin (14, 15) of the flora of 

 the state. Bessey is of the opinion (13) that the sandhill region 

 was at one time more or less forested and he recommended (12, 

 13) that experiments in reforestation should be inaugurated by the 

 state and national governments. Smith {62) described the general 

 features of the sandhills as to topography and plant distribution. 

 In this paper the writer called attention to the occupation of the 

 slopes by the bunch-grasses, and to the presence of blow-out grasses 

 in their characteristic habitats. A list of grass species with notes 

 as to their occurrence and economic relationship adds to the value 

 of this important early paper. 



The decade from 1890 to 1900 saw the publication of a num- 

 ber of important papers that had considerable bearing upon the 

 vegetation of this region. Webber (75) contributed an "Appendix 

 to the Catalogue of the Flora of Nebraska," which included addi- 

 tional sandhill species. Smith pointed out {6?)) certain relations 

 between the sandhill flora and that of the surrounding prairies, 

 plains, and foothills, and commented upon the richness of the aquatic 

 flora of the region. Among his lists occur grasses of "dry hills," 

 of "valleys and meadows," of "boggy margins of water holes." and 

 of ."hay meadows." Bessey (12) discussed the past and present 

 vegetation of the hills especially as related to arborescent species 

 and included a pressing recommendation that something be done 

 toward reforesting the region. Smith and Pound (64) contributed 

 a paper dealing with topographic and drainage conditions and gen- 

 eral life relations in the sandhills, and pointed out some of the sali- 

 ent features of wet and dry valleys. Rydberg, as a field agent of 

 the Division of Botany of the United States Department of Agri- 



